Pluto loses status as a planet
Astronomers meeting in the Czech capital have voted to strip Pluto of its status as a planet. About 2,500 experts were in Prague for the International Astronomical Union's (IAU) general assembly. The scientists rejected a proposal that would have retained Pluto as a planet and brought three other objects into the cosmic club.
Pluto has been considered a planet since its discovery in 1930 by the American Clyde Tombaugh. The ninth planet will now effectively be airbrushed out of school and university textbooks.
"The eight planets are Mercury, Venus, Earth, Mars, Jupiter, Saturn, Uranus and Neptune," said the IAU resolution, which was passed following a week of stormy debate.
--------------
I read somewhere that most of the people campaigning for this rock to retain its "planet" status were americans - based on the fact that it was the only one of the original 9 that an american had discovered... haha
One other thing I saw was about how astrologers are now going to have to adjust their charts - but as far as I'm aware they rarely included Pluto in them anyway.
